With any home improvement or maintenance project, the idea of doing it yourself can be tempting. You’ll enjoy a fun project, learn something new, and save some money… Right?
Well, sometimes it works out that way. But before diving into DIY pest control or any other DIY project, you should consider the true cost from three different angles:
- Cost of materials
- Time and effort
- Effectiveness
It’s easy to measure the cost of materials needed, especially for Round One of DIY pest control. The problem, of course, is that the do-it-yourself methods don’t always work the first time around (or even the second or third).
That’s where the second two metrics of cost come into play. Your time and effort are no laughing matter! After putting in a 40-hour (or more) work week, doing home improvement projects on the weekend eats up time that might be better spent everywhere. There’s also the matter of secondary time cost; for example, if you’re busy working on pest control, then you might order takeout instead of cooking dinner. So there are “trickle down” costs involved in using your time this way.
And finally, even if you don’t mind the cost of materials and your time, everything hinges on effectiveness. When a DIY project goes well, you can indeed save some money. But when it goes poorly, you either call in an expert or repeat your efforts for another round. Either way, you’ve exceeded your initial cost estimate… And at some point, DIY pest control isn’t saving you money anymore.
So, which choice is right for you? We’re not saying that DIY methods never work, or that you should never give them a shot. But do carefully estimate the true cost before diving into a project, and potentially getting in over your head.
If you decide that you would rather seek professional pest control services, just give us a call. We’re familiar with problems common to the area, and we can take care of the problem quickly and effectively.